Miller Charitable Trust makes $1 million gift to CTC campaign

Nov. 15, 2011: Miller Group
Charitable Trust of La Salle announced Tuesday night a $1 million pledge to the
Illinois Valley Community College Foundation to fund enhancements of the soon-to-be-constructed
Community Technology Center at Illinois Valley Community College.

Following the announcement of
the largest gift in IVCC’s 87-year history, college trustees voted at their
regular meeting to name the nearly 80,000-square-foot facility the “Peter
Miller Community Technology Center.”

The building will be named in
honor of both Peter Miller, Jr., and recent former Miller Group Media President
Peter “Pete” Miller of Peru who died in February.

“This is a testament to a man
who embraced technology and its ability to improve the lives of others,” said
IVCC President Jerry Corcoran. “It is also a highly visible reminder of Pete’s
transformative philanthropy in the Illinois Valley.”

Corcoran noted that Pete’s
father, Peter Miller Jr., is a renowned figure in IVCC history. In 1966,
as publisher of the News Tribune and owner of LaSalle County Broadcasting
Corp., Peter Miller, Jr., lent crucial backing to the campaign that gained
overwhelming voter support for construction of the college at its current
location.

“The Miller Group Charitable
Trust’s generous gift in support of the Peter Miller Community Technology
Center will have a profound effect upon hundreds of thousands of students and
community members over the next 30 years,” said Corcoran who then turned to Miller
Group representatives Catherine Miller and Joyce McCullough and added, “Cathy
and Joyce, on behalf of all of them, thank you.”

McCullough, President of
Miller Group Media, made the announcement with Cathy Miller at her side.

“Peter and Pete were avid
supporters of this college and avid ‘new tech’ people. We know they would
not only approve of this project, they would be 100 percent behind it,” she
said.

“We can think of no better
way to honor these two great men who meant so much to us than to partner with
IVCC in the building of the Peter Miller Community Technology Center by
pledging $1 million for building enhancement,” McCullough said.

The $1 million pledge will be paid in three installments ending in November 2013
and coinciding with the expected opening of the facility.

The Peter Miller CTC will
prepare students for technical, manufacturing and alternative energy jobs
through nine career programs, provide a “one-stop” for vital student services
such as counseling, financial aid and admissions, and be home to Continuing
Education, Adult Education and Project Success, among others.

The Miller gift was the
climax of a 30-minute ceremony launching a $2.1 million capital campaign for
support of programs and services to be provided within the CTC. The campaign is
also seeking support for community-strengthening programs such as the proposed
Center for Innovation and Opportunity.

Miller Group Charitable Trust
has also given generously to the Illinois Valley YMCA, Illinois Valley Animal
Rescue, St. Margaret’s Health, Starved Rock Special Olympics and Illinois
Valley Community Hospital, to name just a few.